


Change is perpetual

by That_1_Name



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25111285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_1_Name/pseuds/That_1_Name
Summary: It is never too late to change as long as one is willing and open to it. Life is growth, and, for Johnny, he has needed plenty of growth for a while now, and, thankfully, Daniel was right there besides him for it.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 4
Kudos: 69





	Change is perpetual

In the beginning of what Johnny has learned to comfortably call his relationship with Daniel, and even using that word took some time as it meant he finally felt comfortable enough to call it that, he was quick to discover that there were still some hang-ups he had when it came to being romantically involved again. Another issue he discovered was being in a relationship with Daniel LaRusso, which presented its own unique series of problems, especially when it came to all the mushy stuff. When it comes to the bedroom, there are no problems, a few hiccups here and there, but that’s to be expected since, you know, he just recently discovered that he has a thing for guys, but the biggest problem really is just learning how to enjoy being in a relationship.

He can’t really put his finger on why it’s so hard to just give in to that fluttering sensation he gets in his chest whenever Daniel gives him that cheeky grin of his. He knows he holds back, keeping his guard up waiting for that imaginary other shoe to drop. He’s been happy before, he has fallen in love before, but each time he settled into that feeling, actually started thinking about the future, something **always** happens like the universe is still trying to get back at him for what he did to Daniel when they were kids. But that’s the thing, **he was a kid too**. Johnny has been trying his best to put all that behind him, show that he’s actually trying to become better than the person that Kreese was trying to turn him into, but it’s hard when it seems like you can’t catch a break. Then there’s Daniel who waltzed into his life.

Their relationship started off with a trial by fire with how much shit went down, but they came out the other side still together. Despite all that, and it frightens Johnny to think about this part of him, he secretly wants Daniel to get mad at him, at least then the it’ll feel like how his previous relationships went, something familiar that he knows how to handle, yet he can’t even get that.

Daniel is so calm and understanding that it’s infuriating at times. He doesn’t pressure Johnny, or asks him to do anything really romantic despite the number of times he has caught Daniel doing little things around the apartment for him. And then there are those times Daniel is affectionate, showering Johnny with playful insults because he knows fell well how much he likes it, or the mornings where they both can sleep in and just run their fingers over each other, enjoying the sheer freedom that they can do that now whenever they want.

Moments like these are what drove Johnny to finally break down one day in front of him. It was just a normal day too, nothing particularly bad about it, but he still remembers what pushed him over the edge. They were lounging on the couch, Daniel draped over his legs, and just enjoying a quiet afternoon, when Daniel suddenly started talking about planning a trip to go see his mom and how he wanted Johnny to go with him to finally meet her. There was nothing weird about that, the act itself held so much domesticity to it. Maybe that was the problem; to Johnny, he saw the implicit longevity in it like Daniel knew that this thing they have will last for a while. That thought alone was enough to finally break him and he started crying. Wading through the emotions overwhelming him, Johnny laid out how he believes he is going to screw them up. He already feels like he ruined Daniel’s perfect life. He had everything that Johnny only dreamed of having: a nice house, a steady job, kids and a wife that all love him.

_How could I ever stack up to all of that?_

Then there is Daniel, right next to him, wiping away the tears, peppering his lips with kisses that held genuine care for him. Is it weird that it wasn’t till Daniel that he found out what it means to kiss someone and genuinely mean it? His lips are forceful but soft, and he repeats over and over again in a whisper that fills the space between them with affection, “One day at a time, ok, Johnny?”

Looking in those eyes, Johnny can see a glimmer of something, and he wants to capture that light so badly that it makes his fingertips tremble. He decides right there, with his arms wrapped around Daniel, that he’ll really give it his all to do right by him.

It takes a week before a plan finally is made, and Johnny now has a new morning ritual. Looking at himself in the mirror when he just wakes up, he tells himself one thing he has to do at some point during the day. It could be anything small from cleaning up around the apartment, doing the laundry, or just cleaning up the dishes after dinner. Little things to show Daniel that he does care and appreciates everything he is doing for him. Start off small and work your way up, that’s the goal.

From there, the next step is to add little things to help enhance their relationship. He lets Daniel choose the movies they’ll watch together, control the radio station, and even puts thought into what he’ll wear for when they go out for dinner. Each time, he notices the way Daniel smiles at him, which is enough positive reinforcement to help him keep doing it. Not all at once does Johnny also realize that he is no longer feeling anxious that something is going to happen. He is finally starting to let go and breathe a little.

Then comes the parts that scared him: the intimate stuff. He tries hand holding at first out in public, but finds that the instant their fingers lock up eyes are on them and he pulls away. He apologizes profusely later on at home, but Daniel only smiles in that way he does and all is forgiven.

This part takes longer than Johnny thought; multiple failed attempts made that have Johnny spiraling back down into a pit of self-loathing. _Maybe I can’t change after all._ _Daniel doesn’t deserve a coward like me_ and similar thinking starts keeping him awake at night, staring up at the ceiling and imagining that the moment he closes his eyes that all of this could be gone. Thankfully, Daniel doesn’t mind acting as his lifeguard.

One night, in the darkness of their room, Daniel reaches out, and, curled up in those arms that have done nothing but hold him close, Johnny lays out his fears to him. How he’s not sure he’ll ever change, if they’ll even last before one of them rips the other apart. “Maybe I don’t know how to be better”, slips out of him, the center of all his troubles laid bare. The terror of not believing you’re capable of change no matter how hard you try, that you are forever stuck as the same person till the day you die. The future becomes a terrifying place then, and Johnny is unable to see the possibility if the person he is now and the person he’ll be tomorrow won’t just be the same.

Surprisingly, Daniel actually has a sobering response to that. “Maybe I don’t know either,” he speaks with an air of certainty into the darkness of their bedroom. His grip around Johnny tightens, “Maybe I’m not sure that I can change either. Before you, I was pretty certain about my life, but you came in and kindly jump kicked the shit out of what I thought I wanted.” Johnny feels Daniel shift his weight till he can feel him straddling his hips, looking down at him with only the faint streetlight flooding in between the bedroom shades illuminating his face. “If there’s one thing I learned from you, is that change can come at you out of nowhere, and it’s terrifying. I never know if I’m doing right by you, but each day I tell myself that at least I’m making the effort, and I know you have too. Take your time to figure yourself out, it’s not a race, and know I’m not going anywhere, Johnny.” He leans down and presses their lips together, and Johnny kisses back the way he learned from Daniel. In that kiss, Daniel knows with certainty what Johnny is to him. Johnny is his balance, and he hopes he can share that balance with him.

So, Johnny tries again, hand holding is still a rare occurrence, but he now makes it a point to at least allow one bit of PDA a day, which translates mostly to just hugging, but that’s a good enough start for Johnny. Holding Daniel in his arms, Johnny always keeps his eyes shut, just letting the moment breathe. He still thinks on occasion about the uncertainties of where his life is headed, and when those thoughts come he just remembers Daniel’s words and says to himself, _One day at a time._ Every day brings on a new change that he wants to do for himself, and for Daniel obviously, and, as long as he wakes up next to him till the day where his eyes open no more, he’ll continue to grow for the man that showed him it’s never too late to learn something new about yourself and fall head over heels in love again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> In this fic, I wanted to examine this idea of change and one of the aspects of this ship I LOVE the most: that one is never to old to learn something new about themselves. I find that idea beautifully inspiring and hopeful, and I wanted to see if I could capture that in a fic.
> 
> Anyway, go have yourself a lovely day xoxo


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